Hybrid

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HYBRID - PAGE 5

Dear Tom and Ray: Guys, what's the big deal about plug-in hybrid cars? I've read that various automakers plan to come out with plug-in hybrids in the next two to five years. Isn't a plug-in hybrid just a current hybrid (like a Prius) with a battery charger? Is there some additional technology here that I'm missing? -- Bob RAY: Well, I guess you COULD put it that way, Bob. TOM: But if I were to simplify it, I'd say that today's gasoline-electric hybrids use electricity to supplement a gasoline engine, whereas tomorrow's plug-in hybrids will use a gasoline engine to supplement electric power.

The Washington County Commissioners formally approved the 20-year Fort Ritchie Redevelopment Plan Tuesday. The plan calls for turning the fort into a technology center and conference facility that eventually could create 2,200 jobs and would generate $12 million a year in property taxes for Washington County. The plan, a hybrid that melds two earlier proposals, calls for razing about 480,000 square feet of building space, converting some existing structures and constructing new facilities over 20 years.

The fall season hasn't even officially started yet, and already a show has been canceled. The WB has pulled the plug on its unscripted/game-show hybrid "Studio 7" after, appropriately enough, seven episodes. Thursday's episode will be the show's last. "Studio 7" debuted to a miniscule 1.65 million viewers in late July, and its ratings in the 9 p.m. Thursday spot haven't budged since. The WB also says it's moving the premiere of "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show" back a few weeks, to Oct. 7. The show, which combines improv comedy with computer animation, had been scheduled to debut Sept.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer, Martinsburg MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Hedgesville, W.Va., woman has been cited for having a cougar, and a local animal control officer has expressed concerns about other exotic animals the woman has on her property. Deborah H. Snider was cited for having the cougar because it is illegal to have the cats in West Virginia, said Sgt. Jerry Jenkins of the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Officials do not want exotic animals like cougars released in the state because they can carry diseases that can spread to other animals, Jenkins said.

Hybrid vehicles can make a difference To the editor: I was pleased to learn from your article "Gas prices have drivers pumped for hybrids," in your Monday, March 29 edition, that more drivers in your area are turning to cleaner running and energy saving hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are paving the way to the future, and will help transform the U.S. passenger vehicle market. Both the federal government and the State of Maryland recognize this, and thus are giving financial incentives that help consumers offset the slightly higher cost of these vehicles.

The Ford Fusion is set to turn the sedan world upside down. In fact, the new 2010 edition is arguably the most complete mid-size passenger car on the planet. With four different powertrains -- including gasoline-electric hybrid propulsion -- all-wheel-drive availability and exclusive features and options, the Fusion has become the automotive equivalent of a full-course buffet. In the three years since the Fusion, along with its Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sister ships were launched, Ford has continued to benchmark the leading sedan contenders, including the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima.

FREDERICK, Md. -- From compact fluorescent light bulbs to a hybrid electric trash truck, a wide range of energy-efficient products was on display Friday morning at the SMART Green Showcase in Frederick. The conference was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett and Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow, a not-for-profit group that supports research and development for businesses. It featured dozens of booths where companies displayed their greenest wares. "We're trying to show people how to go green without spending a lot of money," said Dan Chambers, who represented The Home Depot at the conference at FSK Holiday Inn. Chambers pointed to products like high-efficiency toilets and programmable thermostats, which he said can save homeowners serious money.

Earth Day brings out kites, cars By STACEY DANZUSO / Staff Writer, Chambersburg WAYNESBORO, Pa. - From preservation groups to electric cars and farming co-ops, every Earth-friendly idea imaginable was represented at Renfrew Institute's annual Earth Celebration Day Sunday. The converging of "green" groups and practices is an annual event at Renfrew Park in Waynesboro, and routinely draws hundreds of visitors interested in learning how to protect the environment, said Melodie Anderson-Smith, director of Renfrew Institute for Cultural and Environmental Studies.

Who would have guessed that helping to save the planet in a gas-pump-passing gasoline/electric hybrid car could be this appealing? Apparently, Toyota. The company is unleashing a bigger, faster and more feature-laden 2004 Prius this fall that should make the best-seller list on looks alone. While the '03 Prius delivered impressive fuel savings in a plain-brown wrapper, the seductively styled '04 edition promises to further lower gasoline consumption with technology not seen in any other vehicle, anywhere.

The South Penn Area Rose Society held its 43rd and final Rose Show on June 9 and 10 at the First Lutheran Church, 43 W. Washington St., Chambersburg. “We were pleasantly surprised with both the quality and the quantity of the roses in the show,” June King, president of the rose society, said in a news release. “The frequent rains in the days before the show were expected to take a toll on bloom quality, though this was not the case. There were 510 blooms of excellent quality entered into the competition.” Judges for the competition were from Washington, D.C., the Jersey Shore and Harrisburg, Pa. The roses, in a wide range of colors and forms, were beautiful and inspired positive comments from visitors, King said in the news release.